This invention relates to blower wheels and to motor-blower wheel combinations to form a blower. Blowers have been widely used in many forms for many years. One current use is in housings for electronic products, including small computers and similar items. There is a continuous need for smaller products with higher capacities, while at the same time being lighter in weight, durable, quieter and less expensive.
In a typical blower, a blower wheel is mounted on an electric motor and positioned within a shroud for directing air flow to and from the blower wheel. A typical blower wheel comprises a plurality of blades carried on a rotating motor placed in some form of housing.
Presently known blower wheels are relatively large for a given output capacity. It is desirable to maintain high output capacity but reduce the overall size of the blower and cooling system to minimize costs associated with the system packaging and allow for smaller electronic systems and computers. Presently known blower wheels are constructed using steel or aluminum sheet metal or a combination of steel or aluminum and plastic which use a variety of techniques including slots, tabs, staked pins, or rivets to join the components. This type of construction can allow relative movement between the blade components and the back plate or leave small air gaps between wheel components. This movement or existence of small air gaps can cause excessive noise. Other known blower wheels using all metal construction use a welded joint, however this type of construction is expensive and results in a relatively heavy finished product. Presently known blower wheels using plastic/metal construction are typically joined using small plastic pins projecting from the blades through the back plate which are then staked to secure the parts together. These pins are relatively fragile and when damaged can lead to structural failure or additional relative movement between the parts which can cause excessive noise.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved blower wheel design which will overcome such disadvantages, and which will be lighter in weight, less expensive, and more durable than the prior art designs, and also which will provide more output for the same size and power consumption of prior units.